SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (TICKER) -- United
States swimmers Lenny Krayzelburg and Tom Dolan go after their second
individual gold medals. They might learn something from Australian
Susie O'Neill's misfortune.

Just because you're the best in your particular specialty
doesn't guarantee victory -- especially in the Olympics.

O'Neill, who won a gold medal in the women's 200-meter
freestyle, was favored to win her second individual gold in her specialty,
the 200 butterfly. She is so good at that event she has earned the
nickname "Madame Butterfly."

But on Wednesday, O'Neill was beaten by American Misty
Hyman, a late bloomer who did not even make the U.S. team four years
ago.

Krayzelburg, who goes for the gold in the 200 backstroke
Thursday (Wednesday night in the United States), and Dolan, who is
the favorite in the 200 individual medley, had best be on their guard.

Aaron Piersol of the U.S. qualifed second in the 200
backstroke and could give Krayzelburg a battle for the gold.

"We bring out the best in each other, and I think
it will be a great race," said Krayzelburg, who already has won the
100 backstroke.

Dolan, the 400 IM gold medalist, is a heavy favorite
in the 200 IM, but Christian Keller of Germany and Massimiliano Rosolino
of Italy will push him.

Swimming golds also will be contested Thursday in
the women's 200 breaststroke and 100 freestyle. Agnes Kovacs of Hungary
is favored to win the 200 breaststroke and Inge de Bruijn of the Netherlands,
who already has won the 100 butterfly in world-record time, is the
favorite in the 100 freestyle, setting a world record of 53.77 seconds
in the heats Wednesday.

Hyman's race struck another blow for American dominance
in swimming as she defeated a pair of Australians and silenced the
usually raucous crowd at the swimming venue.

Hyman won in 2 minutes, 5.88 seconds, nearly a full
second ahead of O'Neill, who was beaten in the 200 butterfly in a
major international competition for the first time since the 1994
World Championships.

O'Neill had won the 200 freestyle and is the world
record holder in the 200 butterfly. She also gained a silver medal
as part of the Australian team that was second to the U.S. in the
800 freestyle relay.

Australia's Petria Thomas was third, but it served
as no solace to the hosts, who expected to use the Olympics as the
event to supplant the Americans as the dominant country in swimming.

If de Bruijn wins Thursday, then the Netherlands also
will have two double gold medal winners at the Games. Pieter van den
Hoogenband won his second gold, dethroning two-time defending Olympic
champion Alexander Popov of Russia in the 100 freestyle.

Although Hyman and cyclist Marty Nothstein were the
only American individuals to collect gold Wednesday, most of the U.S.
teams continued their winning ways.

The baseball team turned back Korea, the women's basketball
team knocked off Russia, the women's soccer squad defeated Nigeria
and the women's volleyball team topped Croatia.

But the U.S. women's softball team was beaten for
the second straight day, losing to China, 2-0, in 14 innings. The
Americans, whose 112-game winning streak was snapped by Japan on Tuesday,
must now win their next three games in the round-robin tournament
or face the possibility of not advancing to the medal round. Only
the top four in the eight-team field will advance.

The U.S. squad faces another tough opponent Thursday
in Australia. Lisa Fernandez, regarded as the best softball pitcher
in the world, will pitch for the first time in the tournament. Fernandez
pitched five consecutive perfect games during the U.S. team's summer
tour.

The Aussies are tied with China for second in the
standings, one game behind 4-0 Japan and one ahead of the U.S. and
New Zealand.

The Americans just aren't hitting. They stranded 20
runners in the a 2-1 loss to Japan and 11 more in the loss to China.

The U.S. is 2-2 despite posting a 0.23 ERA, allowing
only 11 hits and striking out 54 batters in 39 innings. Michele Smith
struck out 21 in going all 14 innings against China but was the losing
pitcher for the second straight day.

"We have to hit the ball and put it in play and wake
up our bats and get going," Smith said. "I think we just need to be
a little bit smarter when we're in the box and think about what our
job is."

China, which has also been a problem for the U.S.
soccer team the last several years, won't pose a roadblock this year.
The Chinese, who battled the Americans to a goalless draw in the 1999
World Cup final before losing on penalty kicks, were eliminated with
a 2-1 loss to Norway.

Meanwhile, the U.S. women beat Nigeria, 3-1, to advance
to the semifinals.

The Norwegians appear to be the biggest obstacle to
Team USA defending its gold medal. The Americans blanked Norway, 2-0,
in the preliminary round.

While the Americans are faltering in softball, they
are surprising in baseball. The U.S. is 4-0 and is one game ahead
of international powerhouse Cuba, which suffered its first loss ever
in Olympic competition when it was beaten by the Netherlands.

Cuba's run as king of the international diamond may
be coming to an end.

After scrambling from a four-run deficit Tuesday to
beat Korea, the Cubans had no such luck Wednesday as they absorbed
a 4-2 loss to the Netherlands. The loss dropped the Cubans (3-1) one
game behind the U.S., which used a grand slam by Doug Mientkiewcz
to defeat Korea, 4-0.

In women's basketball, the Americans avenged their
only Olympic loss since 1980 with an 88-77 victory over the Russians.
Lisa Leslie scored 18 points and fellow WNBA star Yolanda Griffith
added 16 and 11 rebounds for Team USA (3-0), which took control in
Group B play.

Russia (2-1) dealt the U.S. its only loss in the semifinals
in 1992 and went on to win the gold medal. The Americans won the gold
in 1984, 1988 and 1996, going 25-0 in the process.

The U.S. men's basketball team is back in action Thursday
against Lithuania.

Track and field competition will start in two days,
but an expected 100-meter showdown between Americans Marion Jones
and Inger Miller will not take place in these Games. Miller withdrew
from the 100 today with a hamstring injury.

The world champion at 200 meters, Miller pulled out
of the showcase sprint event in order to give her hamstring more time
to heal before the 200 and the 400 relay.

"I have pulled out of the 100 because of a hamstring
strain," Miller said. "I didn't want to jeopardize the whole event.
It's getting better by the day and it was possible I would have been
OK by Friday but I cannot risk it."

Miller's withdrawal ended her increasingly futile
challenge of Jones' dominance at 100 meters. She finished second